Pokémon TCG Pocket app to launch in October, but New Zealand folks are already playing

Pokémon TCG Pocket app launch is just around the corner. You might have seen the teaser and whatnot, and it’s true: it’s a new mobile game that lets players collect and battle with digital Pokémon cards.

The app is set to launch on October 31, 2024. But, folks are already playing Pokemon TCG Pocket ahead of its release, or at least those in New Zealand. It’s currently being geo-locked, meaning that only users in this area can get their hands on the game ahead of its initial launch—for now.

Many people in the forums have discussed doing a workaround to get early access to the soft launch, like emulators and VPNs. So, if you’re in the market for one, you may consider using Private Internet Access (PIA) as your VPN as it’s cheaper and has a New Zealand server.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the news, Pokémon TCG Pocket is a mobile version of the popular Pokémon Trading Card Game that faithfully recreates the experience of opening physical card packs.

You can open two virtual booster packs daily but must wait 12 hours between packs unless you use microtransaction to speed it up. Plus, we’re also getting the release of new cards, including those from the Genetic Apex set.

Pokémon TCG Pocket app will be available on iOS via Apple’s App Store and Android via Play Store.